All right, I want to share some of my understandings of Latin American history. I want to move pretty quickly until reaching the last century or two, trying to hit broad themes.

First, let’s talk about pre-1492 America, from Mexico on down. In the Americas, there were surprisingly advanced civilizations, as well as smaller, more primitive societies. (yes, the anthropologist in me cringes at some of these terms) Some of them we know a lot about, some we know little of. They principally fell into two groups: hunter-gatherers and farmers. Those can be broken down further, but it suffices to say that the people lived off the land.

Some of the groups are fairly well known:

• The Mayans: famed not just for their calendars, they were highly advanced in mathematics and astronomy. Their civilization developed the only true writing system in pre-Colombian America.
• The Mexica (Aztec): Also known as the Triple Alliance, this group came to dominate what is today Mexico. Ferocious warriors and astute politicians, they came to rule over an empire 10 million people strong. [Mexica, Aztec and Triple Alliance are not synonyms; those interested can Google a bit to learn the differences]
• The Inca: The Inca empire dominated the Andes. Comprised of over 100 distinct ethno-lingustic groups, the Inca empire had an elaborate road system, advanced stone-working techniques, intricate terraced farming methods and even metalworking.

It’s easy to romanticize these groups and forget that many of their practices looked like the things God condemned the Canaanites for in the Old Testament. These empires were built through people dominating other people, shedding blood and terrorizing their neighbors. They were neither better nor worse than peoples in other parts of the world; unfortunately, much of what they had to offer the world was lost. But that’s a tale for another post.